Steve McQueen
by Denyce
Summary: Follows, A Family Moment, friendship between Andre (Dre) and Van. Implied pre-slash.


"They weren't kidding were they?" Van asked again, shaking his head.  
  
Dre wanted to laugh. He couldn't get over how fixated Van got over the weirdest things. In his mind, Van should be more flustered; complaining to him about how his sisters wanted to fix Van up with all their talk about how he should settle down. But Van wasn't the slightest bit upset. Though, for once, Dre was more than happy that all three of his sisters hadn't focused exclusively on him yesterday. Plus he enjoyed watching Van lap up every ounce of attention they threw at him. But no, after all that, Van was a frozen rock still fixated on the 'Towering Inferno', Steve McQueen and Deaqon.  
  
"No, they weren't kidding. Trust me, we've both been teased enough over the years because of it. Coffee?" Dre asked as he unlocked and opened his door.  
  
Van followed Dre in and plopped down, exhausted from a day of trying to make contacts with their new mark and establishing themselves as new buyers in town. "Yeah."   
  
Van fidgeted in his seat before jumping up again as his mind started to race. "OK, I get it and I agree, it's a weird flick to use as a bedtime story-BUT to go on and consider THAT to be Steve McQueen's best? I mean, what's your brother smoking? Hasn't he seen Papillon, The Great Escape, The Cincinnati Kid or The Magnificent Seven...just to name a few? I mean, Steve fucking McQueen was the MAN. A man's actor even with the pretty blond hair and blue eyes. Nobody ever fucked with him. Did you see Bullitt?......."  
  
Dre busied himself making the coffee; smiling as he listened to Van go off on the merits of Steve McQueen. Dre shook his head as he noticed the direction Van started to go, knowing full well Van was on auto-pilot and most likely didn't even realize it. He was saddened that Van still wouldn't completely come out to him. It wasn't an issue he wanted to force. Nor was it really his business, but he'd liked Van; he was his partner, his brother, and in some ways Van made the ache Deaq left bearable. Van could never replace Deaq, Deaq was blood, but Van's bubbling unpredictable personality and fierce loyalty was as close as he'd dreamed he'd one day have again with Deaqon. Inviting and accepting Van into his family was the right thing to do. Dre knew it in his gut. He wanted Van to feel safe and comfortable, to share all of his life including his preferences. Something Dre wished he could've done with Deaq.  
  
But Van still shied away: keeping his family life and his preferred sexuality more or less under wraps. But Dre had to smile, he was making headway. Van no longer completely hid his attractions: like now, as Van unconsciously moved the conversation from McQueen's ability to act, to how good he looked in the Magnificent Seven.   
  
Chuckling, Dre came into the room, offering Van his coffee. "You sound like Deaq. Personally, I don't see the attraction, but hey, he's a little too white and male for me."  
  
Van turned away as he felt himself blush. He'd gone from Steve McQueen's movies to his rugged good looks especially gushing about Magnificent Seven and the way McQueen wore his jeans and holster. Taking a sip, Van returned to what Dre said, then froze as he realized exactly what Dre meant; he made a light joke about his attraction. 'He knew, his partner knew.'  
  
Dre came up behind Van, concerned that Van just stood there; maybe he'd gone too far, and Van really wasn't ready. "Van, you OK?"   
  
" You know? It doesn't..." Swallowing hard, Van couldn't even say the words.  
  
"Bother me? No. I care about you. You're family." Dre clasped a hand on Van's shoulder to give him comfort and felt the slight tremors shake through his partner's body.  
  
Van couldn't say anything, but stood there, turned away as tears threatened before he could will them away. Dre knew the biggest secret of his life, and still accepted him. Maybe it wouldn't have been such a big deal if his own mother hadn't rejected him when he told her. He was too ashamed to ever tell his father. After joining the force it was just easier and acceptable to be with women-which wasn't a problem since he actually enjoyed both sexes, but he knew that given the choice, he preferred men. Trying to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat, "I still, .........I like women, too."  
  
"I know. Van, it doesn't matter. But..."   
  
Van tensed at the word waiting for whatever the 'but' was.  
  
"But you might not want my sisters to know right away. If you think the women they shove in front of you were bad--wait. Just think of the men they'll try to fix you up with."   
  
Dre laughed heartily at the thought, slapping Van on the back, "Oh, and when they find you have a thing for Steve McQueen, and they will! -------All those blond, blue-eyed studs they're gonna parade in front of you..."   
  
Van turned around, "Hey that was McQueen! No one can replace him. Besides, he was a crush when I was a kid. He's not exactly my type now. If I had a type." Van replied defensively, but smiled when he saw the humor in his partner's eyes.  
  
Dre smiled happily, knowing that one step was made today. Now, if he could only take this step with his little brother. Well, if things worked out... the way Van and his mother were covertly trying to get them together; all of the Hayes, including one Deaqon LaVelle Hayes just might be spending the holidays together on one coast. 


End file.
